New Delhi: A study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) reports that eliminating tobacco use in India could significantly improve the economic condition of more than 20 million families.
The research was jointly carried out by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (Mumbai) and the ICMR’s National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research (Noida). It analysed household income, spending and lifestyle patterns captured in the 2022–23 National Sample Survey.
Using data from 2.61 lakh households, researchers compared monthly spending on tobacco products such as beedis, cigarettes and gutkha with other household expenses to estimate potential financial gains if tobacco use is stopped.
The study found that quitting tobacco could improve the economic status of about 11.64% of rural households and 7.26% of urban households. Among poorer families, 12.4% could see improvement, while 16.8% of middle-income households could benefit, taking the total number of families helped to over two crore.
